Photo from Almar Seinen of Henryk Tomaszewski in front of his poster for the exhibition
at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, 1991. The picture is reproduced from the Catalogue of the exhibition
at the Akademia Sztuk Pieknych, Warsaw (1993).

Poster for the 50th anniversary of the Union Internationale de la Marionette, 1978

Henryk Tomaszewski, the most admired and most influential polish poster designer of the 20th century died
in Warsaw on September 11, 2005, in the city where he was born on June 10, 1914.

Zdzislaw Schubert, the distinguished curator of the poster collection at the National Museum in Poznan wrote
in his preface in the catalogue of the Tomaszewski exhibition at the Umeleckoprumyslove muzeum in Prague (1994):

It would be difficult to overestimate the part Henryk Tomaszewski
has been playing in the history of Polish and world
graphics. The artist has been active not only as the designer of
many posters, as the author of illustrations and satirical drawings,
but also as a teacher. And he has come to be recognised
as an unconventional personality in both those areas of activity.
Many eminent Polish designers have emerged from his workshop.
Young graphic artists from many European countries
have come to him to take undergraduate and post-graduate
courses. Today, they frequently belong to the topmost poster
painters in their countries, and abroad.

What does the phenomenon of that artist consist of, an artist
whose unruly graphic temperament and energy constantly lead
him to seek new paths, new solutions and who infected his
associates with his passion?

It is not easy to answer that question, as Tomaszewski escapes all
stereotypes of classification and analysis. And although
his work was bred in the atristic tendencies of the day, his
independence of thought and imagination and his independent
attitude to his milieu made him break through the canons of
design surrounding him. But at the same time, it has to be
recognised that in spite of being such a strong individuality, he
did not impose his way of thinking upon others, particularly in
matters of craftsmanship. Thus, apart from a couple of attempts,
one would in vain seek any imitators of his style among
his pupils.

Jan Lenica, who was Tomaszewski's assistant from 1954 to 1956, wrote in 1993:
For me the decisive thing is contributing to any artistic domain.
Henryk Tomaszewski has contributed something that
is absolutely his own and inimitable.
Something quite Polish and Warsovian.
A part of himself.
We could define it as his style but does not like that notion.
He has his disciples but no imitators because you cannot
imitate him.
Henryk Tomaszewski is a poet, and that's all, folks!